We were lucky to catch up with Brayden DeMorest-Purdy recently and have shared our conversation below.

Brayden, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I think it all started by watching movies. I love cinema, and growing up I would watch movies all the time. I started to develop an interest in certain genres, and as I grew older I started to pay closer attention to the filmmakers behind my favourite movies. With that, I started to study my favourite filmmakers. Read books, watch documentaries, listen to interviews… Anything I could find. I also just loved watching behind the scenes of films all the time, in some cases I enjoy the behind the scenes more than the film itself.

Once I started actually making movies, it was really all about learning as I went, and trying new things. You make a lot of mistakes as you go, but learning from them is what makes the next movie even better. I also just love making movies, so it consumes all of my time. I can’t tell you how much time I spent running around town with my friends making short films. It was all the time.

As my career started, I would take every opportunity I could find to further my knowledge, understanding, and experience for filmmaking. And if the opportunity I wanted wasn’t in sight, I would do everything in my power to make it happen.

Overtime, I started to develop my own style of filmmaking. I really enjoy long takes/ oners, as well as using practical effects. Capturing everything in camera.

Brayden, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

The only thing I love more than watching movies, is making them!! I love all genres of film, but I tend to gravitate towards psychological thrillers and sci-fi. Any story that makes an audience think out of the norm is my cup of tea. My signature has become long/ slow camera moves to emphasize the atmosphere or character’s emotions.

More recently I have started to shoot on film. Which I absolutely love. The quality and aesthetic of the picture, to the sound of the film spooling through the camera…. Nothing beats it.

Outside of film, I am a proud advocate for the International OCD Foundation. An organization that provides resources and a community of support for those that have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Showcasing mental health in my films has always been very important to me. There is still lots of stigma around the topic of mental illness. And my hope is to open the conversation even more, and allow those who live with experiences dealing with whatever they are dealing with can feel that they are not alone.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

It allows me to escape into worlds that I love to be in. It also allows me to create those worlds for others.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/braydendpurdy